CA Prop. 37, regarding labeling of GMO foods

In November Californians will have to vote on Prop 37, which will require many foods that contain GMO ingredients to be labeled as such. Here is a more detailed explanation, including the precise language of the proposition, and the arguments for and against.

What do you think? Are you concerned about GMOs in your food? Do you think the proposed mandatory labeling is a good idea, a bad idea or somewhere in-between? If this passes, how will it affect Californians? Will it affect other Americans as well?

Comments (93)

I think it's unethical to not thoroughly label food, so I would be all for it if I live in CA. Letting people know exactly what they are eating isn't limiting anyone's choice. It's just giving people the opportunity to make informed decisions.

Exempt from this requirement foods that are "certified organic; unintentionally produced with genetically engineered material; made from animals fed or injected with genetically engineered material but not genetically engineered themselves; processed with or containing only small amounts of genetically engineered ingredients; administered for treatment of medical conditions; sold for immediate consumption such as in a restaurant; or alcoholic beverages."

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Kasey

"If there are no stupid questions, then what kind of questions do stupid people ask? Do they get smart just in time to ask questions?:

Barb, I don't think it's as simple as whether it is dangerous or not. First of all, we don't know the answer to that question as very few long term studies have been done. But some studies, including one posted upthread have shown that there MAY be long term health effects.

Secondly, there is also the matter of ecological damage, which is separate from danger than the one that may or may not exist from eating.

As for the definition of GMO, I think it is foods engineered using recombinant DNA technology, not natural breeding techniques, and can include transgenic organisms that actually contain genes from different species.

Exempt from this requirement foods that are "certified organic; unintentionally produced with genetically engineered material; made from animals fed or injected with genetically engineered material but not genetically engineered themselves; processed with or containing only small amounts of genetically engineered ingredients; administered for treatment of medical conditions; sold for immediate consumption such as in a restaurant; or alcoholic beverages."
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Those stipulations don't really bother me. They actually seem pretty reasonable.

I want this proposition to pass. GMO foods concern me a LOT. Monsanto is an evil corporation and I hate them to the core of my being. I would love to be better educated about what I am eating. GMO foods are outlawed in several other countries and for good reason: we don't know what GMO foods will do to us in the long term. It should be my right to choose not to eat them and without requiring proper labeling I have no idea what I'm putting into my mouth.

Just came across something that might be of interest to those who don't mind GMO. On Wednesday French scientists said that rats fed Monsanto's GMO corn or exposed to theit weedkiller now suffer tumors and organ damage. Of course, the study is being widely disputed. It's enough to scare me, though.

If there are genuine dangers - and not just internet hysteria - I'd much rather the government research the dangers and eliminate dangerous items.

Our system in the US doesn't work this way.

We dont' follow the precautionary principle the way other countries do.

The burden is on ... who?--that's the important question -- to prove something is dangerous, not on the corporations to demonstrate GM foods are safe.

My guess is that for the most part they are safe. There are some studies to the contrary, however.

But there are wider considerations as well -GM crops have ecological impacts, such as the contamination of heritage crops in the Americas with GM genes (a lot of these crops are wind pollinated, so you can not contain the GM genes in a field).

Not everyone cares about that kind of thing or would consider it "dangerous" -- that's the issue. I do care.